December 29, 1970-February 27, 2022....John
Peter Cawley, 51, grew up in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. He lived in
Portland, OR for the past 26 years. He died in a snowmobile accident;
his passion for the outdoors was well-known, and it is some consolation
that he died doing what he loved. He was predeceased by his father,
Michael F. Cawley (1998) and sister Katherine (1967). His mother,
Virginia Cawley (Croton-on-Hudson) survives him and will miss his love
and attention. He is also survived by his long-time partner, Melissa
Howe, and her daughter Olivia Howe, both of whom he treasured. His
sense of humor and zest for life will be forever missed by sisters
Jennifer Keon of Brewster, MA (Larry Keon), Jeanne Anzalone of
Croton-on-Hudson (Michael Anzalone), Eileen Cawley of Croton-on-Hudson;
brothers Philip Cawley of Portland, ME (Gretchen Spann), Matthew Cawley
of Sunny Isles Beach, FL, Timothy Cawley of Wilton, CT (Lisa Cawley),
and Brian Cawley of Nashville, TN. He was a loving and spirited uncle
to Kaitlin (Christian), Michael, Alec (Kaitlin), Olivia, Charlie, Finn,
Neve, Chess, Alessia, and Mia. He was a great-uncle to Ava, Milo,
Corbin, and Perrin. He was close to many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
His Portland friends were like a family to him, especially Salty, who
was like a bonus brother to John, and Keith, who was the bravest. He
had many “adopted” Portland nieces and nephews, and any birthday,
graduation, or Christmas celebration always included fireworks, scratch
off lottery tickets, funny glasses, and two-dollar bills to make things
memorable. His dog Tug was the lucky recipient of John’s love and
attention.
John was born in Mt. Kisco, NY. He went to Holy Name
of Mary School where he was an altar boy in the church. He graduated
from Croton-Harmon High School in 1989. He then attended the United
States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. He sailed on many
ocean-going vessels as a cadet, including military transport vessels
carrying cargo to support Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He
graduated in 1994.
Upon graduation, he had a 28-year career working
in maritime shipyard safety and repair projects in Portland, Seattle,
Alaska, Singapore, Korea, China, South Africa, Spain, and Nigeria. His
own company, Cawley Maritime, included Exxon, Chevron, BP, and Alaska
Tanker Company as customers. The last part of his career was spent
working with Alaska Tanker Company. On any given day on a ship repair
project, if you looked for the hottest, tightest, and most challenging
spot to get to, you would likely find John. If he wasn’t there, you
would notice the unmistakable stylized Yankees interlocking “NY” symbol
clearly marked on the bulkhead or tank entrance, and realize John had
beaten you there and things were pretty darned safe. John found ways to
communicate important safety information to CEOs, laborers, and
non-English speakers. It was clear that he found the job that he was
meant to do.
He loved sports and the outdoors. His teams were the
Yankees, Giants, and Knicks, and he adopted the Blazers and the Timbers.
He was a three-sport athlete in high school, and was a four-year
starter and captain on the Kings Point lacrosse team. He recently
completed training to be a high school lacrosse official.
He lived in a floating home on the Columbia River, where he was known for flying all kinds of flags: USA, USMMA Kings Point, Alaska Tanker Company, the Yankees, Ireland, the Grateful Dead, and the family crest. He hiked portions of the Appalachian and Pacific Coast Trail with his dog Tug, and summited Mount Hood (11,240 feet) with a picture of dad in his pocket. HIs talents and interests were many. He specialized in leading table-top singalongs at McSorley’s and tying everlasting knots in rogue wedding dress trains. He attended an annual wild game dinner where he eagerly tried raccoon, beaver, elk heart, cougar, and opossum, among other delicacies. He was able to summon help for a marooned pleasure boat with a glance to a nearby tugboat.
A Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Name of Mary Church in Croton-on-Hudson on Saturday, March 19 at 12:30 PM.
MORE AT https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/24203553/john-peter-cawley
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